KENYAN TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN DRC AS FAMILY APPEALS FOR HELP TO BRING BODY HOME

A family in Malava, Busia County, is appealing to the government for urgent assistance to repatriate the body of their kin, Edwin Njuguna Ngugi, who was killed under unclear circumstances in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Njuguna, a long-distance truck driver, is said to have raised concerns over threats to his life shortly before his death. His relatives report that they only learned of the tragic incident through social media after days of trying unsuccessfully to reach him.

According to the family, Njuguna’s phone went off on April 3 at exactly 2:22 pm, marking the last known contact. A day earlier, he had spoken to a cousin in Mombasa, detailing the dangerous conditions he was facing after his truck broke down in Bunia.

In that final conversation, Njuguna described a tense and insecure environment, saying he feared for his life. He explained that his truck had developed mechanical issues, forcing him to seek protection from local soldiers after a group of armed individuals allegedly attempted to attack and rob him.

“Umeona masaibu yamenipata huku… barabara ni mbaya kabisa, gari jana ilikatika… sasa nalindwa na wanajeshi… jana karibu nipigwe na watu, walikuja hapa na mapanga wanataka kuniibia, bahati mzuri wanajeshi wakakuja… mwenye mzigo alisema atakuja na gari ingine wabadilishe mzigo halafu trailer ichomwe, sasa nawangojea,” he said in the conversation.

However, it is alleged that the same soldiers who had offered him protection later took his money and abandoned him in the volatile area.

Family accounts and available reports indicate that Njuguna was later attacked by armed groups, killed, and his truck looted. His body was taken to Bunia Main Hospital, where it remains, while the truck is still stranded at the scene.

The grieving family says they are unable to raise the funds required to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo and facilitate the return of his body. They are now calling on the Kenyan government to intervene and assist in bringing their loved one home for a dignified burial.